Collapsible hunter&#39;s seat



Feb. 1, 1966 o s, c mE 3,232,664

COLLAPSIBLE HUNTERS SEAT Filed April 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTOR.

Oscar 5. /l/Ic Br/c/e BY Wwaw ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1966 O. s. Mc 3,232,664

COLLAPSIBLE HUNTERS SEAT Filed April 10, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

0Jc0r S. Ma Bride ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,232,664 COLLAPSIBLE HUNTERS SEAT Oscar S. McBride, Mount Pleasant, MiclL, assignor of one-half to David E. Burrows, Mount Pleasant, Mich. Filed Apr. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 358,874 Claims. (Cl. 297-184) This invention relates to improvements in collapsible hunters seat. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an improved form of hunters seat which can be easily attached to a tree trunk to provide comfortable support for the hunter in seated position while waiting for game to appear and which will permit the hunter to swing from side to side thus increasing his range of vision.

Second, to provide a collapsible hunters seat which provides overhead protection again-st rain as well as back and some side protection against wind.

Third, to provide a hunters seat which is light and collapsible into a small package for carrying into the woods and which is provided with convenient pockets for holding accessories or conveniences which the hunter may desire to use while waiting for game to appear.

Fourth, to provide a hunters seat having pockets for removably receiving gas fired hand warmers in a position that will both heat the seat portion of the collapsible seat and still be readily accessible for removal of the warming element for warming the hunters hands without moving from the seat.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, of which there are two sheets, illustrate a highly practical form of the seat structure.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the seat in operative attached position to the trunk of a tree.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 22 in FIG. 1 illustrating the construction of the seat support and arm rest and the removable accessory pockets on the side shield of the seat assembly.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation-a1 view of the seat assembly.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken along the plane of the lines 4-4 in FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view through the seat in collapsed carrying position.

The seat assembly consists of a mounting board 1 having belts or straps 22 attached thereto for binding and supporting the assembly on the trunk of a tree indicated at 3. The mounting board swiveledly supports an upright rectangular back frame 4 and the back frame in turn foldably supports a seat frame 5 and extensible vertical support rods 6 which support a foldable cover frame 7 over the seat. The seat frame 5 is supported by sectional seat support and arm rests having upper sections 8 and lower sections 9 pivotally connected as at 10.

Considered in greater detail the mounting board 1 is connected to the belts 2 by means of rivets illustrated at 11 in FIG. 3 and the belts have suitable buckles 12 for drawing the belts tight around the trunk of the tree. On its back side the mounting board 1 is provided with an angle element 13 having teeth 14 which pierce or engage the trunk of the tree to support the vertical load of the seat and the hunter occupying the seat. On its forward face the mounting board 1 is provided with an upper hook 15 having an upwardly turned outer end and a lower hook 16 also with an upturned outer end. The hooks 15 and 16 form pivotal supports for the back frame 4.

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The back frame 4 is of generally rectangular outline and is desirably made of light tubular aluminum stock having an upper cross member 17 and a lower cross member 18 connected by side upright members 19. The centers of the cross members 17 and 18 are provided with holes in their lower walls which receive and rest upon the hooks 15 and 16 to pivotally support the back frame in front of the mounting board 1. The pivotal swinging motion of the back frame is indicated by the dotted lines at 18A in FIG. 4.

The seat frame 5 is a rectangular frame of tubular stock having a rear cross member 20 and a front cross member 21 connected by side members 22. The seat frame 22 is slightly narrower than the mounting frame 4 so as to be collapsible into the plane of the mounting frame. Hinges 23 secured to the bottom member 18 of the back frame and the back member 20 of the seat frame foldably support the rear edge of the seat frame from the bottom of the back frame. The seat support and arm rests have their upper sections 8 pivotally con nected to the side members 19 of the back frame as at 24 and have their lower sections 9 pivotally connected to the front of the seat frame side members 22 as at 25. The upper sections of the seat support and arm rests are curved longitudinally in an upward and forward concave direction while the lower sections are curved downwardly and rearwardly in a concave direction. The upper sections 8 are of upwardly opening half round cross section while the lower sections 9 are of downwardly opening half round cross section nested within the lower end of the upper section 8 at the pivot 10. The lower ends of the lower sections 9 have spaced cars 26 lapped on'opposite sides of the seat frame and engaged by the pivots 25.

The upright support rods 6 are telescopically received in th side members 19 of the back frame and have adjustable stops or collars 27 which are selectively clamped to the rods by thumb screws 28 to support the rods at various elevations above the top cross member 17 of the back frame. A cross bar 29 of angle section is secured between the support rods 6 by the rivets 30 (see FIG. 3) and supports hinges 31. One leaf of the hinges 31 is secured to the side bars 32 of the Ushaped cover frame 7. ,With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 it will be noted that the hinges 31 are arranged so as to support the frame 7 in horizontal position over the seat frame or to perm-it the cover frame 7 to be swung rear-wardly into parallel relation to the back frame for carrying or storing purposes. The cover frame 7 is provided with a double walled fabric cover 33 which is slipped over the frame 7 to provide overhead protection for the occupant of the seat.

The back frame 4 is provided with a wind or weather shield 34 consisting of a sheet of suitable fabric which is wrapped around the lower cross member 18 of the back frame and stitched as at 35 (see FIG. 5). The sheet 34 extends upwardly across the upper cross member 17 without connection to the upper cross member but is provided with two laterally extending arms or branches 36 which are wrapped around the upright side members 19 of the back frame and stitched to themselves as at 37. The upper end of the sheet 34 is connected to the cross bar 29 as at 38 and is long enough to permit full upward extension of the support rods 6 and the cover frame 7. When the seat is collapsed for storage or carrying, the upper portion of the back shield 34 folds irregularly within the back frame as is shown in FIG. 5.

The seat frame 5 is provided with a fabric seat 39 which is notched at the corners as at 40 to clear the rounded corners of the seat frame as well as the seat supporting hinges 23 and the pivotal connections 25 between the seat frame and the seat support and arm rests. The

assaeea edges of the seat 39 are wrapped around the front and back and sides of the seat frame 5 and are stitched upon themselves as at 41 to provide a sturdy flexible seat for the assembly. On its underside the sheet of fabric 39 forming the seat is provided with two or more pocket forming patches 42 which are stitched to the seat at 43 by U-shaped lines of stitching forming laterally opening pockets which are adapted to receive the type of gas fired hand warmer (not illustrated) which is a common and readily available item of sportsmens equipment. Hand warmers positioned in these pockets thus function to keep the seat warm and are at the same time readily accessible from the sides shouldthe occupant of the seat desire to remove one or both of the warmers for warming his hands.

A limited amount of side protection against wind and weather is provided by fabric side shields 44 having their upper edges wrapped around the lower sections 9 of the seat support and arm rests and stitched to themselves at 45. The lower edges of the side shields are stitched to the fabric of the seat 39 as at 46 (see FIG. 2). When the seat assembly is collapsed for carrying the side shields 44 fold irregularly between the seat frame and the back frame as appears. most clearly in FIG. 5. In addition to providing limited side protection against the weather, the side shields 44 are provided with female snap fastener elements'47 detachably receiving and supporting the male snap fastener elements 48 carried on the inner sides of fabric accessory pockets 49 and 50. The pockets 49 and 50 may be of various sizes to receive and conveniently support accessories or articles which the hunter may find desirable or wish to have within convenient reach. For example, the pockets may hold a vacuum bottle of a hot drink and a flashlight or other articles.

When the seat assembly is packed for carrying the thumb screws 28 are loosened permitting the support rods 6 to telescope completely into the side members 19 of the back frame and the cover frame 7 is folded backwardly. The back frame 4 is lifted off of the pivotal supporting hooks 15 and 16 and the seat frame 5 is folded upwardly with theupper and lower sections 8 and 9 of the seat support and arm rests collapsing between the two frames. Themounting board 1 which is then separate from theback frame is placed in reversed position against the bottom of the seat frame 5 wherethe hooks 15 and 16 are generally projected within the outline of the frames to prevent snagging on brush while being carried into the woods. The attaching belts 2 on the mounting board conveniently wrap around the downwardly folded cover frame 7 and. the cover 33 and secure the entire assembly together foreasy carrying. The teeth 14 on the mounting board project from one side of the back while the cover 33 forms a smoothand resilient back engaging panel should the hunter desire to sling the seat over his shoulders using the mounting straps 22 as carrying loops slipped over his arms.

It is again pointed out that when in erected and mounted position the seat assembly can be swung through a considerable angle thus increasing the hunters range of observation. The sides of the seat are partially protected by the side panels 44 but these are purposely made small and low so as not to interfere with the hunters free action and aiming ofhis gun when desired. 7

What is claimed as new is:

1. A collapsible huntersseat and shelter comprising amounting board having tree trunk engaging projections on its back side' and straps for binding the mounting board to atree trunk,

upper and lower hooks projecting from the front of said, board and having upturned ends forming pivotal supports on the board,

a main back frame of tubular stock and rectangular shape having its cross members removably and pivotally supported on said hooks,

a seat frame of tubular stock and rectangular shape hingedly connected to the bottom cross member of said back frame and foldable into parallel relation thereto,

seat support and arm rests connected between the forward portion of said seat frame and intermediate portions of the side members of said back frame and foldable into the back frame in the collapsed position of the seat,

said supports and arm rests including upwardly and forwardly concave bowed sections of half round cross section having their upper ends pivotally connected to the side members of said back frame and downwardly and rearwardly concave bowed front sections of downwardly facing half round cross section having their upper ends pivotally connected to the lower ends of the upper sections and their lower ends pivotally connected to the sides of said seat frame and foldable into nesting relation in the upper sections in the folded position of the seat,

back support rods telescopically and adj-ustably projecting from the upper ends of the side members of said back frame a cross bar connected between the upper ends of said support rods,

a cover frame of rectangular outline hingedly connected to said cross bar to be supported in horizontal position by the cross bar over said seat frame or folded rearwardly along the back of said back frame,

a fabric cover mounted on said cover frame,

a fabric back shield secured at the top to said cross bar and extending downwardly to the bottom cross piece of said back frame with intermediate side portions secured to the side portions of said back frame above said seat supports and arms,

a fabric seat having its edges wrapped around said seat frame and stitched upon the body of the seat,

fabric pockets stitched to the bottom of said seat and opening to the sides of the seat to receive warming burners,

side shield panels of fabric having their upper edges wrapped and stitched around the lower sections of said seat supports with their lower edges stitched to said seat,

snap fasteners secured to saidside shields,

and article receiving pockets removably attached to said side shields by said snap fasteners,

said pivotal supports for said back frame permitting angular swinging of the seat and back frame relative to the mounting board.

2. A collapsible hunters seat and shelter comprising a mounting board having tree trunk engaging projections on its back side and straps for binding the mounting board to a tree trunk,

upper and lower hooks projecting from the front of said board and having upturned ends forming pivotal supports on the board,

a main back frame of tubular stock and rectangular shape having its cross members pivotally supported on said hooks,

a seat frame of tubular stock and rectangular shape hingedly connected to the bottom cross member of said back frame and foldable into parallel relation thereto,

seat support and arm rests connected between the forward portion of said seat frame and intermediate portions of the side members of said back frame and foldable into the back frame in the collapsed position of the seat,

said supports and arm rests including upper sections of half round cross section having their upper ends pivotally connected to the side members of said back frame and lower front sections of downwardly facing half round cross section having their upper ends pivotally connected to the lower ends offthe upper 6 a flexible seat having its edges wrapped around said seat frame and secured upon the body of the seat,

, pockets secured to the bottom of said seat and opening to the sides of the seat to receive warming burners, fasteners secured to said seat supports,

and article receiving pockets removably attached to said fasteners.

4. A collapsible hunters seat and shelter comprising a support rods, a cover frame of rectangular outline hingedly con- 10 nected to said cross bar to be supported in horizontal mounting board having tree trunk engaging projections on its back side and straps for binding the mounting board to a tree trunk,

position by the cross bar over said seat frame or folded rearwardly along the back of said back frame, a fabric cover mounted on said cover frame,

said back frame and foldable into parallel relation thereto,

seat support and arm rests connected between the forward portion of said seat frame and intermediate portions of the side members of said back frame and upper and lower pivotal supports on the front of said board, i a main back frame of tubular stock and rectangular a fabric back shield secured at the top to said cross shape having its cross members pivotally supported bar and extending downwardly to the bottom cross on said supports, piece of said back frame with intermediate side por a seat frame of rectangular shape hingedly connected tions secured to the side portions of said back frame to the bottom cross member of said back frame and above said seat supports and arms, foldable into parallel relation thereto, a fabric seat having its edges wrapped around said seat seat support and arm rests connected between the forframe and stitched upon the body of the seat, ward portion of said seat frame and the side members fabric pockets stitched to the bottom of said seat and of said back frame and foldable into the back frame opening to the sides of the seat to receive warming in the collapsed position of the seat, burners, said supports and arm rests including upper sections Side Shi ld pane s f fa having their pp edges having their upper ends pivotally connected to the Wrapped and stitched around the lower sections of side members of said back frame and lower front said seat supports with their lower edges attached sections having their upper ends pivotally connected to said seat, to the lower ends of the upper sections and their snap fasteners secured to one of said side shields, lower ends pivotally connected to the seat frame and and article receiving pockets removably attached to foldable into angled relation to the upper sections said snap fasteners, in the folded position of the seat, said pivotal supports for said back frame permitting back support rods telescopically and adjustably projectangular swinging of the seat and back frame relative ing from the upper ends of the side members of said to the mounting board, back frame, 3. A collapsible hunters seat and shelter comprising a cross bar connected between the upper ends of said a mounting board having three trunk engaging projections support rods, on its back side and straps for binding the mounting board a cover frame hingedly connected to said cross bar to to a tree trunk, be supported in forwardly projecting position by the upper and lower pivotal supports on the front of said cross bar over said seat frame or folded rearwardly board, 49 along the back of said back frame, a main back frame of tubular stock and rectangular a cover mounted on said cover frame,

shape having its cross members removably and piva flexible back shield secured at the top to said cross otally supported on said supports, bar and extending downwardly to the bottom cross a seat frame of tubular stock and rectangular shape piece of said back frame,

hingedly connected to the bottom cross member of a flexible seat having its edges secured to said seat frame,

and pockets secured to the bottom of said seat and opening to the sides of the seat to receive warming burners.

5. A collapsible hunters seat and shelter comprising 50 a mounting board having tree trunk engaging projections on its back side and straps for binding the mounting board to a tree trunk,

foldable into the back frame in the collapsed position of the seat,

said supports and arm rests including upper sections having their upper ends pivotally connected to the upper and lower pivotal supports on the front of said board,

side members of said back frame and lower front a main back frame of tubular stock and rectangular sections having their upper ends pivotally connected shape having its cross members removably and pivto the lower ends of the upper sections and their lower otally supported on said supports, ends pivotally connected to the seat frame and folda seat frame hingedly connected to the bottom cross able into angled relation to the upper sections in the member of said back frame and foldable into parallel folded position of the seat, relation thereto, back support rods telescopically and adjustably projectseat supports and arm rests connected between the foring from the upper ends of the side members of said ward portion of said seat frame and said back frame b k f and foldable into the back frame in the collapsed a cross bar connected between the upper ends of said position of the seat,

support rods, 5 said seat supports and arm rests being jointed to fold a cover frame of rectangular outline hingedly conin the folded position of the seat,

e ted to said cross bar to be supported in forwardly back support rods telescopically and adjustably projectprojecting position by the cross bar over said seat ing from the upper ends of the side members of said frame or folded rearwardly along the back of said back frame, back frame, 7 a cover frame hingedly connected to said support rods a cover mounted on said cover frame, to be supported in forwardly projecting position over a flexible back shield secured at the top to said cross Said seat frame or folded rearwardly along the back bar and extending downwardly to the bottom cross of Said back frame, piece of said back frame with intermediate side pora cover mounted on said cover frame, tions secured to the side portions of said back frame, a fabric back shield secured at the top to said cross bar and extending downwardly to the bottom crosspiece of said back frame,

a flexible seat having its edges secured to said seat frame,

and flexible pockets secured to the bottom of said seat and opening to the sides of the seat to receive warming burners,

said pivotal supports for said back frame permitting angular swinging of the seat and back frame relative to the mountingboard.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,275,392 8/1918 Collins 182187 1,826,120 10/1931 Booth 182-187 X 2,070,484 2/1937 Jones 297-484 X 6/ 1939 McCann 297192 4/1956 Priest 297--188 X 7/1956 Berger 1355 9/1958 Woodward 297188 8/1961 Farver 182-187 11/1962 Hundley 182-187 6/ 1963 Burke 297254 1/1964 Riley 182l87 X 2/1964 Small 297184 10/ 1964 Gerdetz 297-188 FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1957 France.

15 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Eaminer. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE HUNTER''S SEAT AND SHELTER COMPRISING A MOUNTING BOARD HAVING TREE TRUNK ENGAGING PROJECTIONS ON ITS BACK SIDE AND STRAPS FOR BINDING THE MOUNTING BOARD TO A TREE TRUNK, UPPER AND LOWER HOOKS PROJECTING FROM THE FRONT OF SAID BOARD AND HAVING UPTURNED ENDS FORMING PIVOTAL SUPPORTS ON THE BOARD, A MAIN BACK FRAME OF TUBULAR STOCK AND RECTANGULAR SHAPE HAVING ITS CROSS MEMBERS REMOVABLY AND PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID HOOKS, A SEAT FRAME OF TUBULAR STOCK AND RECTANGULAR SHAPE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM CROSS MEMBER OF SAID BACK FRAME AND FOLDABLE INTO PARALLEL RELATION THERETO, SEAT SUPPORT AND ARM RESTS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE FORWARD PORTION OF SAID SEAT FRAME AND INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF THE SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID BACK FRAME AND FOLDABLE INTO THE BACK FRAME IN THE COLLAPSED POSITION OF THE SEAT, SAID SUPPORTS AND ARM RESTS INCLUDING UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY CONCAVE BOWED SECTIONS OF HALF ROUND CROSS SECTION HAVING THEIR UPPER ENDS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID BACK FRAME AND DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY CONCAVE BOWED FRONT SECTIONS OF DOWNWARDLY FACING HALF ROUND CROSS SECTION HAVING THEIR UPPER ENDS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER ENDS OF THE UPPER SECTIONS AND THEIR LOWER ENDS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SIDES OF SAID SEAT FRAME AND FOLDABLE INTO NESTING RELATION IN THE UPPER SECTIONS IN THE FOLDED POSITION OF THE SEAT, BACK SUPPORT RODS TELESCOPICALLY AND ADJUSTABLY PROJECTING FROM THE UPPER ENDS OF THE SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID BACK FRAME, A CROSS BAR CONNECTED BETWEEN THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT RODS, A COVER FRAME OF RECTANGULAR OUTLINE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID CROSS BAR TO BE SUPPORTED IN HORIZONTAL POSITION BY THE CROSS BAR OVER SAID SEAT FRAME OR FOLDED REARWARDLY ALONG THE BACK OF SAID BACK FRAME, A FABRIC COVER MOUNTED ON SAID COVER FRAME, A FABRIC BACK SHIELD SECURED AT THE TOP TO SAID CROSS BAR AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY TO THE BOTTOM CROSS PIECE OF SAID BACK FRAME WITH INTERMEDIATE SIDE PORTIONS SECURED TO THE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID BACK FRAME ABOVE SAID SEAT SUPPORTS AND ARMS, A FABRIC SEAT HAVING ITS EDGES WRAPPED AROUND SAID SEAT FRAME AND STITCHED UPON THE BODY OF THE SEAT, FABRIC POCKETS STITCHED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID SEAT AND OPENING TO THE SIDES OF THE SEAT TO RECEIVE WARMING BURNERS, SIDE SHIELD PANELS OF FABRIC HAVING THEIR UPPER EDGES WRAPPED AND STITCHED AROUND THE LOWER SECTIONS OF SAID SEAT SUPPORTS WITH THEIR LOWER EDGES STITCHED TO SAID SEAT, SNAP FASTENERS SECURED TO SAID SIDE SHIELDS, AND ARTICLE RECEIVING POCKETS REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO SAID SIDE SHIELDS BY SAID SNAP FASTENERS, SAID PIVOTAL SUPPORTS FOR SAID BACK FRAME PERMITTING ANGULAR SWINGING OF THE SEAT AND BACK FRAME RELATIVE TO THE MOUNTING BOARD. 